Discover our dynamic map of residential security deposit laws by state, covering maximum amounts, return deadlines, holding methods, and interest rules.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 35 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent

Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 14 days.

Rules for Holding: The deposit must be kept in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan association, or with a licensed escrow agent. Prepaid rent and security deposits can be stored in the same account.

Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: One and a half month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 14 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Rules for Arizona: If a surety bond is used instead of a security deposit, it should equal 1.5 month's rent. Landlords must provide written explanations for any nonrefundable fees or deposits. Any fee or deposit not marked as nonrefundable is considered refundable.

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 60 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 21 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within one month.
Rules for Holding: Licensed real estate brokers managing properties must keep security deposits in a separate trust account.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent for applicants under 62 years old
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in separate escrow accounts in a financial institution, like a bank.
Rules for Interest Payments: Interest on the security deposit must be paid to the resident on both the lease anniversary and the termination of tenancy.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 20 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in an escrow bank account.
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Rules for Delaware: The landlord and the applicant can refuse to accept or purchase a surety bond. If a surety bond is used, it cannot exceed one month's rent.

Appropriate disclosures must be provided to the tenant, including notice that the bond is not insurance and that the tenant will remain obligated for all costs. The tenant retains the right to a notice of claim submission and is afforded the opportunity to challenge any claims made under the bond.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 45 days.
Rules for Holding: Landlords must keep residents’ security deposits in an interest-bearing escrow account. These deposits can be combined with other resident deposits but not mixed with other funds.
Rules for Interest Payments: Residents must be paid the interest on their security deposit at the end of their tenancy.

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: The landlord must return the deposit within 15 days if they are not making a claim. If they are making a claim, the landlord must send a written notice by certified mail within 30 days to the resident's last known address, stating how much of the deposit will be kept and why. If the notice is not sent within 30 days, the landlord loses the right to make a claim on the deposit.

After receiving the notice, residents have 15 days to object. If the landlord does not receive a written objection within those 15 days, they can deduct the claimed amount and return the remaining balance within 30 days of the notice. Residents who object can file a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) or take legal action to resolve the dispute over the security deposit.
Rules for Holding: Landlords must handle security deposits in one of the following ways: keep them in a separate non-interest-bearing escrow account in a Florida bank, keep them in a separate interest-bearing escrow account in a Florida bank, or post a surety bond.
Rules for Interest Payments: If the landlord chooses to collect and hold the resident's security deposit they must pay the resident interest. The interest must be at least 75% of the annual average interest rate for that account or 5% per year, whichever the landlord chooses. The landlord must pay this interest to the resident annually and at the end of the tenancy.
Special Rules for Florida: If both the applicant and landlord agree, landlords can collect a fee instead of a security deposit. Landlords must provide written details about the fee within 15 days of signing the lease. Surety bonds are not subject to these same regulations.

Max Security Deposit: Two months
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Landlords must either keep security deposits in separate escrow accounts and inform each resident of the location of their account or obtain a surety bond.
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Municipal Rules (Atlanta): If landlords want to offer a surety bond as an alternative to a security deposit, the insurance company must provide a monthly billing option.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 14 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 21 days.
Rules for Holding: For rental properties managed by a third-party manager, the security deposit must be kept in a separate account at a federally insured financial institution.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: The landlord must provide a written statement itemizing deductions within 30 days and return the remaining deposit balance within 45 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: The landlord must pay each resident interest on their security deposit within 30 days of the end of each 12-month rental period.
Special Municipal Rules for Chicago: Landlords must keep security deposits in a separate, federally insured, interest-bearing account and provide written receipts. They must pay interest on deposits held for over six months and return deposits with interest within 45 days of the resident moving out, including itemized statements for any deductions. Successor landlords must honor these deposits, and penalties for non-compliance include damages up to twice the deposit amount plus interest.
Special County Rules for Cook County: A landlord cannot request or accept a security deposit that exceeds one and a half months' rent. Residents are allowed to pay the security deposit in installments.

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 45 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be kept in a federally insured bank and cannot be mixed with the landlord's personal funds.
Rules for Interest Payments: Interest earned in the first five years of tenancy is the landlord's property.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent for an unfurnished dwelling or one and a half months' rent for a furnished unit.
Rules of Returning: The deposit must be returned within 14 days after calculating any deductions and no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be kept in a separate account at a state—or federally-regulated bank or lending institution and can only be used for that specific purpose.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within one month.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits cannot be mixed with the landlord’s personal assets or those of any other person or entity. Security deposits must be kept in a separate bank or financial institution account.
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Rules for Maine: A landlord can offer applicants the option to purchase a surety bond instead of providing some or all of a security deposit. However, landlords cannot require applicants to purchase it, and landlords are not required to accept it.

Appropriate disclosures must be provided to the tenant, including notice that the bond is not insurance and that the tenant will remain obligated for all costs. The cost of a surety bond cannot exceed two months' rent. If a resident buys a surety bond and also provides a security deposit, the total amount of both cannot exceed two months' rent. The tenant retains the right to a notice of claim submission and is afforded the opportunity to challenge any claims made under the bond.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 45 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be kept in one of the following ways: an interest-bearing account at a federally insured financial institution that operates in the state, an insured certificate of deposit at a federally insured financial institution, or securities issued by the federal or state government.
Rules for Interest Payments: Any interest accrued on the security deposit must be paid to the resident.
Special Rules for Maryland: Surety bonds can cover all or part of a security deposit, but landlords are not required to accept them, and applicants are not required to buy them.

Appropriate disclosures must be provided to the tenant, including notice that the bond is not insurance and that the tenant will remain obligated for all costs. The total coverage, whether through a bond or a deposit, cannot exceed two months' rent. The tenant retains the right to a notice of claim submission and is afforded the opportunity to challenge any claims made under the bond.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in separate interest-bearing bank accounts, separate from the landlord's assets.
Rules for Interest Payments: Interest accrued on the security deposit must be paid to the resident annually and at the end of the tenancy.

Max Security Deposit: One and a half month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in a regulated financial institution.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 3 weeks.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: The security deposit must earn simple interest at a rate of 1% per year, which the landlord must pay to the resident.
Special Municipal Rules (Minneapolis): One month's rent as a security deposit

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in a federally insured bank, credit union, or depository institution. If a licensed broker manages the property, the broker must keep separate accounts for each resident's security deposit unless the fee owner agrees otherwise in writing.
Rules for Interest Payments: Any interest earned on a security deposit belongs to the landlord.

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: The landlord must return the deposit within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: Three months’ rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Rules for Nevada: Residents cannot be required to purchase, nor landlords to accept, a surety bond instead of all or part of a security deposit.

When the lease ends the landlord can use the security deposit, surety bond, or both to cover unpaid rent, repairs beyond normal wear and tear, and cleaning costs within a reasonable amount. The tenant retains the right to a notice of claim submission and is afforded the opportunity to challenge any claims made under the bond.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent or $100
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in trust and may not be combined with the landlord's personal funds.
Rules for Interest Payments: Residents must be paid all accrued interest after one year.
Special Rules for New Hampshire: A landlord can avoid these requirements by posting a bond from a New Hampshire-based company with the city or town clerk where the rental property is located. The bond must be equal to the amount of the security deposit.

Max Security Deposit: One and a half month's rent. Yearly security deposit increases may not exceed 10% of the current security deposit.
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be kept in a trust and cannot be mixed with the landlord's personal property or assets. If a landlord owns 10 or more rental units, they must hold residents’ security deposits in one of the following: an insured money market fund set up by a New Jersey investment company with investments maturing in one year or less or a variable interest rate account in a federally insured and state or federally chartered bank, savings bank, or savings and loan association.
Rules for Interest Payments: Residents must be paid any accumulated interest yearly in cash, as a rent credit upon lease renewal, on the lease anniversary, or by January 31. This payment can also be made when the tenancy ends. These rules do not apply to owner-occupied buildings with two or fewer rental units unless the resident gives the landlord 30 days written notice requesting them.
Special Rules for New Jersey: The Security Deposit Law applies to all rental properties used as living spaces, except for owner-occupied buildings with no more than two rental units. However, residents in these smaller properties can still request the law's protections by giving their landlord a 30-day written notice at any time during their tenancy.

Max Security Deposit: None for leases of one year or more; one month’s rent for a lease of less than one month.
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: If a landlord asks for a security deposit of more than one month's rent, they must pay the resident annual interest. This interest should match the passbook interest rate allowed for savings and loan associations in New Mexico by the federal home loan bank board.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 14 days.
Rules for Holding: A landlord must hold a resident's security deposit in trust, separate from their personal funds, and not treat it as their own asset. For certain properties, the deposit must be in an interest-bearing account at a New York bank, including non-rent-regulated buildings with six or more units and rent-stabilized or rent-controlled units under various New York regulations.
Rules for Interest Payments: If the landlord puts the deposit in an interest-bearing account, they can keep 1% per year as an administrative fee and hold the remaining interest in trust. The interest must then be handled in one of the following ways: paid to the resident at the end of the tenancy, applied to any unpaid rent annually, or paid to the resident annually.

Max Security Deposit: Two months' rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Landlords must either hold security deposits in a trust account at a licensed, federally insured bank or savings institution in North Carolina, hold the deposits in a trust account outside North Carolina with an adequate bond equal to the deposit amount, or provide a bond from an insurance company licensed in North Carolina.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in a federally insured, interest-bearing checking or savings account.
Rules for Interest Payments: Landlords must pay residents interest when the lease terminates.

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: If the security deposit is more than $50 or one month's rent (whichever is greater) and the resident stays over six months, the landlord must pay the resident 5% annual interest on the amount exceeding that threshold.
Special Municipal Rules (Cincinnati): If a resident requests it, landlords with 25 or more units must accept rental security insurance instead of a security deposit. The insurance must be from a provider licensed and approved by the Ohio Department of Insurance, cover the entire lease term from the first premium payment, and offer coverage per claim that equals or exceeds the required security deposit amount.

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: The deposit must be returned within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the resident vacates the property, and the resident submits a written request for the deposit.
Rules for Holding: The security deposit must be kept in an escrow account at an Oklahoma federally insured bank or financial institution.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 31 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Rules for Oregon: Landlords may require or accept various charges, including screening fees, deposits, security deposits, rent, prepaid rent, utility charges, late fees, and damages. They must provide written payment confirmation, such as a receipt or account statement, if requested. This confirmation must be given within a reasonable time and include the amount paid, date of payment, and information identifying the landlord or rental property.
Special Municipal Rules for Portland: If a landlord collects last month's rent as a security deposit, they can only require up to half a month's additional security deposit. Residents can pay this additional amount in installments over up to 3 months.

If an applicant doesn't meet minimum income requirements, the landlord may request additional security from a guarantor or a larger security deposit. The landlord must notify the applicant in writing of the conditional approval and additional requirements. The applicant has at least 48 hours to respond.

A guarantor must demonstrate financial capacity and can be required to cover up to three times the rent but no more than the rental agreement amount.

Max Security Deposit: Two months’ rent in the first year and one month’s rent for years two and beyond.
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days
Rules for Holding: Landlords must either hold a resident's security deposit in an escrow account at a federally or state-regulated bank or provide a bond from an authorized bonding company in Pennsylvania.
Rules for Interest Payments: If a landlord keeps a resident's security deposit in an interest-bearing escrow savings account for more than two years, they can retain 1% of the interest but must pay the remaining interest to the resident annually on the lease anniversary. If the landlord requires a security deposit after the first two years or during any lease renewal, they must pay interest on the deposit when the lease ends or the resident moves out.

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 20 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 30 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: One month's rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within two weeks.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: The landlord must notify the resident of any refund due to them at their last known address. If the resident does not respond within 60 days, the landlord can keep the deposit.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be kept in a separate account specifically for this purpose at a state or federally-regulated bank or lending institution.
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 14 days.
Rules for Holding: None. The state ruled that towns and municipalities may not adopt any ordinance limiting how a security deposit is held.
Rules for Interest Payments: None. Towns or municipalities can adopt ordinances that may authorize the payment of interest.

Max Security Deposit: Two months’ rent
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 45 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 21 days.
Rules for Holding: Security deposits must be held in a trust account specifically maintained to hold security deposits in a financial institution or with a licensed escrow agent in Washington.
Rules for Interest Payments: None
Special Rules for Washington: The landlord may waive the security deposit requirement, and the applicant can agree to pay a fee in lieu of the security deposit.
Special Municipal Rules for Seattle: No one-time fees can be charged at the beginning of the lease other than non-refundable move-in fees, security deposits, pet deposits, and last month’s rent. The security deposit and non-refundable move-in fees may not exceed one month’s rent. Residents can pay the deposit and fees in installments and may not be charged any fees or interest due to the payment plan.

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 60 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Max Security Deposit: None
Rules of Returning: Deposits must be returned within 21 days.
Rules for Holding: None
Rules for Interest Payments: None

Residential Security Deposit Laws by State